Oct 12, 2008 02:18 pm If he'd take it away from the corner and actually place it properly (and make the stands to the ground and back a bit), it's very similar to my old FrankenDesk...
Home Studio Work Station you can make for $80?
Posted on Oct 12, 2008 11:15 am
Bluesdues
Member Since: Apr 26, 2006
I saw this thought it it might be useful. Cost will vary but you be the judge.
mysite.verizon.net/homestudioguy/id18.html
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Oct 12, 2008 02:18 pm If he'd take it away from the corner and actually place it properly (and make the stands to the ground and back a bit), it's very similar to my old FrankenDesk...
Oct 12, 2008 07:02 pm Nice find indeed. I'm well set at the moment, including one, large desk custom made by dB that is still not up in the other room. It is going to be used for a drum workstation once the area has been cleared out again.
But ya, that is a nice simple plan, one could modify for themselves to suit their needs.
Oct 12, 2008 10:13 pm Quote:
If he'd take it away from the corner and actually place it properly
Some of us in tiny HOME studios don't have the luxury of a room big enough to "take it away from the corner". Some of us have ears that wouldn't know the difference.
That is a cool design, and I'm tempted to throw one together as the Rubbermaid tables that I have crammed in here just aren't doing it for me. (Plus they're probably not accurately tuned to my room.)
Oct 13, 2008 12:58 am I don't want to touch on a sensitive subject here, but I'm going to... And I apologize in advance if I go on a rant that's stemming from something that isn't actually there...
I seem to be coming up against "HOME" studio this and that, etc., on a few different threads here.
I understand that we're dealing with home studios here. If sound quality isn't an issue (it's not in a lot of home studios), that's fine. People can set up their rooms however they want.
My point is to teach how to actually get it "right" - or close enough to it that people can take a "tiny, home studio" and actually get really great recordings out of them.
It doesn't take much - Move a little furniture around. I had a home studio in my bedroom. It was in a corner. It sounded like a$$. Then I read some books (most by F. Alton Everest) and quickly learned why it sounded so bad (or more technically, why I wasn't hearing what was actually happening). At one point, I had a desk on casters so I could move into a reasonable position to work, and then slide it right back when I was done (it was an exceptionally small room).
Aside: It's a cool looking desk - It does remind me of FrankenDesk:
www.massivemastering.com/...m_photos_9.html
FrankenDesk, for a long time, was in a spare room - In my home - that was a scant 10x11. It was a terrible sounding room, I made even more typical acoustically concerned mistakes in there (you might notice a bunch of LENRD's - a.k.a. "worthless foam corner things" in the photo).
But I got a lot of work done in that room...
Point is: It's a heavily modified corner desk that's not in the corner. You can't get worse than a corner - But you can't get better (IMO) than a desk designed to fit into a corner.
Anyway, back to the sensitive subject part: I'm not here to cut down and ridicule. I'm here to teach and inspire some thought. If someone has the tools and isn't using them right, I'm going to tell them. Not to make them feel "small because they're in a HOME studio" but to make their home studio a better studio than all the other home studios with a desk shoved into the corner.
Again - If someone is using a home rig for pre-prod and writing and doesn't care about the sound quality, that's fine and dandy. If they're wondering why their "home studio" sounds like a "home studio" and they're trying to make it better, don't hammer it down that they're stuck because they're in a home studio. You're putting limitations on them.
Maybe I'm feeling something that really isn't there - But I've seen this pattern before at a few forums and it usually hits just before someone calls me (or whoever it might be) an "elitist" or "gear snob" or that I'm "not in touch with people in home studios."
So let's set the record straight - I've set up more home studios than I can remember. I started in a home studio. I've made some of the best recordings I've ever made in home studios. Probably between a third and a half of my clients record in home studios. Some of the best recordings I've ever heard were made in home studios.
But I'm not here suggesting that people settle for what they get because they're in a home studio. I'm trying to offer some very simple suggestions to get the very most out of their home studios.
I didn't have resources like this when I was learning. I would've given various body parts for someone to tell me "Hey - Get your damn desk out of the corner, dummy!" when I was tearing my hair out trying to figure out why my recordings sounded so different away from my system.
Nipping it in the bud, I'm not out of touch, I'm not an elitist, I might be a little bit of a gear snob (but I also shared a recording with someone here that I made on absolute crap gear just to show someone with a similar rig how pretty freakin' decent recordings can be made on that gear). But I prefer "picky-eared" over "gear snob" in most cases.
And I truly believe that with a little bit of research, a little bit of work, and yes - maybe a few bucks in materials (it's not a cheap hobby), fantastic recordings can be made in a HOME studio. Don't limit yourselves. Don't let anyone limit you. And don't overuse limiters.
Oct 13, 2008 03:05 am i agree that the average home studio dude probably doenst look into things as much as someone more advanced, and hell i can totally understand that being one myself atm.(less advanced of course)
but Massive, i can also definatley appreciate someone with your attitude towards stuff and i do,
I am a home recordist now, but have a similar attitude in the sense that i feel, if you're gonna do it or learn it, then you should absolutley do it right.
For me, sometimes i cant sleep at night because im wondering how to do some application better than how i did it that day.
i can never feel satisfied just trying to work this stuff out myself. i will always be thinking i've missed something, coz i cant get it to sound how i want it. So much so im doing something about it and will study next year.
I only want to be a slave to my creativity, and not in any way shape or form to my lack of knowledge in regards to recording.
but getting back to the start of my post, not everyone is as hell bent on things, as some other people are.
as to the "measurable" differences between one way of doing things, or the other, it comes down to what makes "you" happy with "your" work and what doesnt.
Oct 13, 2008 11:30 am [quote]but getting back to the start of my post, not everyone is as hell bent on things, as some other people are.
as to the "measurable" differences between one way of doing things, or the other, it comes down to what makes "you" happy with "your" work and what doesnt.[/quote]
Understood -- And as mentioned, if that's what makes a person happy, that's fine.
My whole point(s) come from setting up studios -- I used to do a lot of "consulting" (for lack of a better term) in that regard.
I'd walk into a room and say "Okay, let's move that desk out of the corner..." and they'd say "Don't you want to hear it first?" And I'd say "No, I know what it's going to sound like."
So we'd set up the space and play a really great recording - I recall using Supertramp's "The Logical Song" a lot - Fantastic recording. And the guy (or gal in a few cases) would say "Wow! That sounds great!"
And then we'd put on one of their recordings...
And they'd say "Jeebus! That sounds HORRIBLE!!! It sounded way better when the room was set up the other way - This sounds more like the way it sounds in my car or in my living room."
Then, as one who teaches to fish instead of handing out fish, I'd make them repeat that a few times until they realized what an insane statement it was.
So many people struggle - for years in many cases, to make decent recordings. They get very frustrated, they go through periods of "giving up" -- They take bad advice "Oh, you need a compressor" -- "Oh, you need a condenser mic because you only use dynamics on stage" -- "You need to put Sonex up all over the walls and use heavy carpeting."
A lot of them spend a lot of time and a lot of money - I mean, waste a lot of time and a lot of money - trying to change their recordings. But they can't hear anything - and they don't know it. Once they catch a good whiff of what their system actually sounds like, everything changes overnight. Even with 'less than stellar' monitoring, at least it puts them in an advantageous position of getting the most out of the current system.
And again - I certainly have no issues with those that use their rig as a songwriting and pre-prod tool - That's what the "home studio" was designed for in the first place. But even if they don't care too much about sound quality, there's nothing wrong with having it.
I'll freely admit - I *am* very "hell-bent" on some things. But these are things that (IMO) should be handled and understood before anything else. It's the basis of everything.
Oct 13, 2008 02:38 pm I for one, MM, appreciate your 'do it right' approach of helping to the whole process, and while pointing mistakes out that people make can sometimes come off as elitist, I simply have never gotten that attitude out of any of your posts . You seem to be nothing less than helpful and informative .
Hell, the first question I ever asked here, was anwsered with a 'read the damn manual' answer, so... thankyou for sharing what you know with us .
Oct 13, 2008 02:44 pm sometimes "RTFM" is a valid answer...
...i'm just sayin...
Oct 13, 2008 02:53 pm Right on, and it was quite valid in my case as well... not very informative, but valid just the same .
Boy have I read alot of manuals since .
Oct 13, 2008 03:02 pm I don't ask, I don't read, I just do...and keep doing until I figure it out.
...it drives my wife nuts...
Oct 13, 2008 06:34 pm Heya MM, don't sweat it. The advice and help is all good. The voice in which it's received is irrelevant. I've kinda viewed you as the "gruff veteran" Course, I'm a newb-ish kinda guy, so to me half the people around here are gruff veterans. Especially dealing with recording :P
Irregardless, I agree with the approach. Getting things right, knowing why it's right, and picking apart the "good" advice from the "not so good" advice makes things a heckuva lot easier. As far as the wording, well, to quote the network admin I work with, after having received a complex task, "Jim, it builds character."
It's good to have someone around who has a strong take on what's right, and what's wrong. I wouldn't call MM elitist and whatnot since I don't think he comes across like that, but I would say he's definitely passionate about his work, and helping others get their act together. Harsh criticism can be painful, but as long as it's constructive it can do a world of good.
As far as manuals go, "Any good engineer will tell you the manuals are for the people who don't know what the heck they're doing." ;)
-Jbot
Oct 13, 2008 09:01 pm Hey dB, J-bot said Irregardless.
Man did I ever take a lot of flak for using that word too much.
Anyway, yes MM. I have to admit that sometimes it comes off a bit high sided to some here. After all, this place revolves around those who have to make due for the most part with a bit less then others. But always take that into consideration if things are argued. It is because many have to make due with what they have or can scrounge up.
I'm lucky enough to have what I need to get what I need done. And also access to most of the newest gear in bigger studio's when the need arises. I could easily replace the gear I have with all high end gear. But at a cost to many that I work with that really can't afford a studio with that kind of gear. An honestly, I am more then comfortable with the gear I have here that even the clients that can afford a higher price don't care what the gear is, as long as the finished product sounds like they want. And it always does.
So take any arguments with a grain of salt. Most of us do and have for many years.
Oct 13, 2008 09:55 pm Deleted By Deon
Oct 13, 2008 09:57 pm MM, yeah i agree with the way you handled the desk thing when consulting.
just getting off the subject a little, but i remember when i was right into weight training, i was doing it for years to get the results i did.
i never had anyone come and tell me, do this for that, and do that for this, just do it, its been tried and tested and it works better than the current way you are doing it.
I wish those more experienced took me by the scruff of the neck and helped me out. i know now it would've taken me half the time to get results.
so when you went into the room and stated things about the desk, i think its the best sort of approach. its simple, you know that the desk is better somewhere else. they dont.
i never knock back advice.
as for the "RTFM". it hurts a bit, but i get it, RTFM! other wise all those trees have died in vain.
mine is 676 pages long!
Oct 14, 2008 12:47 am MM, it was obvious to me, from your very first post, that you are very passionate about what you're doing. I like that because it's passionate people that often make a difference.
Although I realize that I will probably never reach your level of skill and perfection, I do know that reading what you have to say and following that advice has improved my understanding of the recording process and, as a result, my recordings. To accomplish this was the exact reason why I joined this community.
All I can say is: please stay passionate!
Oct 14, 2008 02:04 pm All right...here's the thing...Bluesdues came on here and posted a link to what he thought (and I agreed) was a very cool do-it-yourself project. I just felt that if someone didn't also think it was cool that they may have just chosen not to say anything.
I agree that MM is indeed an authority on many things that get discussed around here and that his knowledge and advice are very valuable. I also know that he's only trying to help. I guess I was just trying to stick up for the "little guy", hence the emphasis on HOME Recording. Guys like me fall into the category of "home recording hobbyist". I'd be way more interested in building a cool workstation than I would be in how to best sonically place it in my basement. (I guess my recordings prove that!)
Anyway...sorry have to stirred up the pot.
Oct 14, 2008 02:08 pm hahaha, yeah, I'm with you jim, that's why I started this site in the first place, for home recording people, ya know, people on budgets, time and space constraints, and all that...not saying the "right way" to do something isn't good to know, just that some times it's not possible, or probably...
I built my own desk a few years back, it was awesome...now Noize has it in his garage :-)
I like and respect those that have infinite possibilities and all that, but I don't like being looked down on if I chose another route. Some folks are just happy having fun, writing and recording music.
That desk is cool, placement not withstanding.
Oct 14, 2008 03:49 pm dB, I don't get the feeling that I'm being looked down on. What I see in MM's posts is that I can improve my recordings by changing "little" things e.g. like tracking less hot or experiment some with monitor or desk placing.
Point being, if he were sitting here with my budget gear, the recordings would probably still sound a lot better than when I'm "at the wheel". The best equipment in the world wouldn't be of much help to me without the knowledge how to get the most out of it. So, instead of getting out a roll of money to buy better stuff, why not see how far I can go by improving my skills?
Just another hobbyist's $0.02.
Oct 14, 2008 04:02 pm Nobody is disputing that point. I would assume everyone wants to get the most out of their gear.
That's not what I was saying at all. You missed my point entirely.
Oct 14, 2008 04:02 pm not me, I just have it cuz it gets me the chicks, man!
Oct 14, 2008 06:54 pm [quote]All right...here's the thing...Bluesdues came on here and posted a link to what he thought (and I agreed) was a very cool do-it-yourself project. I just felt that if someone didn't also think it was cool that they may have just chosen not to say anything.
I agree that MM is indeed an authority on many things that get discussed around here and that his knowledge and advice are very valuable. I also know that he's only trying to help. I guess I was just trying to stick up for the "little guy", hence the emphasis on HOME Recording. Guys like me fall into the category of "home recording hobbyist". I'd be way more interested in building a cool workstation than I would be in how to best sonically place it in my basement. (I guess my recordings prove that!)[/quote]
I never said there was anything wrong with the desk - I'm big on "nipping things in the bud" -- Placement and room setup are too important to ignore. If someone reads that post and thinks "Whuh? Take it out of the corner? Why?" then something good happened.
That's what I meant in (a previous post, I think on this page) about setting up home studios -- These weren't people who *couldn't* set up the room properly - They just didn't know that there was a "proper" way to set it up in most cases. A lot of people have no idea that putting a desk in a corner is the absolute worst place you can put a desk. If one of them reads this thread and it flicks a switch in his/her head, it could save them a lot of hassle and frustration in the long run -- That was my only motivation.
Oct 14, 2008 07:57 pm I just wuv everyone!!
I wuuuvv yoooo!!(not in a gay way)
Oct 14, 2008 09:25 pm I wuuuvv everyone too. In a platonic way, of course.
But your avatar is strangely attractive to me...
Oct 14, 2008 09:27 pm Makes sense to me. But I'm still gonna build me one of those things and I'm still gonna put it in the corner.
By the way, I wuuuvvvv everyone more than the two of you combined. Ask anyone who knows me.
Oct 14, 2008 09:51 pm OK, now Deons mean looking space clown has somehow become erotic? This is a strange place indeed today.
Watsa wuv to go wound.
Oct 14, 2008 10:34 pm space clown!! thats me!! a little hungover yes, but i still got it man.
its not me...
well now we know MM, you have a clown fetish.
could be worse.
Oct 14, 2008 10:37 pm now that i look at it Noize, i can see where you get the "space clown" thing.
the border kinda makes it look like those villans trapped in space, in one of the Superman movies. i think it was S2.
Oct 14, 2008 10:40 pm At the touch of wuv everyone becomes a poet. :-)
Oct 14, 2008 10:49 pm 
Even for ta waskly wabbit!
Oct 15, 2008 12:13 am ALRIGHTY. Reading through this thread is proof that from a small suggestive post you can get an education in room acoustics, get a beat down, a primer in weight training, a brutal understanding of manuals, find love in strange places, all make up and hug..........and do it all with a whole lot of humor.
I do find MM's input useful though over my head sometimes so I keep what I can hold. And on the manuals every now and then you can go through a manual and come out more confused than when you started. Sometimes you don't know enough for the manual to make sense. But buy asking a simple question and getting a little help it can help it all to come together. I think I would have built one of these myself but I recently found an Ikea jerker desk, and it is pretty cool.
Oct 17, 2008 11:06 pm I need someone to build me one of these.I like my fingers where they are,me and power tools do not get along. I hate the desk i have now.
Oct 18, 2008 12:29 am I have a question about the placement of the desk MassiveMaster spoke of. If your situation was one that a corner desk was you best option is tuning/adjusting the room an option? And if so, what ways would you do it?
Oct 18, 2008 01:52 am If you *must* be in a corner? The only thing you can really do is over trap (OVER over trap) all the other corners. OC703 "corner cut" (where you can get 3 'triangles' out of a 2'x4'x4" sheet and then stack them from the floor to the ceiling).
That'll make a dent in the situation. It won't fix it, it *might* make it more usable, but it won't be anything like having the desk out of the corner.
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